Cream-separator.



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(Application filed Aug. 14, 1900.)

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NrTED STATES PATENT i OFFICE.

JAMES L. ROBERTS, OF PONTIAC, ILLINOIS.

CREAM-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters :Patent N0. 679,685, dated July30, 1901.

Y Application filed August 14, 1900. Serial No. 26.876. (No model.)

To @ZZ 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pontiac, in the county of Livingston and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Cream-Separator, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to cream-separators of that class which employs acream-separating fluid that is introduced into a volume of milk so as tocause the cream to rise to the surface thereof; and the objects of theinvention are to provide for introducing the creamseparating fluid withthe slightest possible agitation to the milk and to maintain acontinuous flow of the fluid, which is also controllable, so as to beregulated according to the requirements of any particular ease.

l/Vitll these and other objects in view the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of parts, as 'Will be hereinaftermore fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, andparticularly f pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may bemade Within the scope of the claims Without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of acream-separator constructed and arranged in accordance With the presentinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central sectional view taken at rightangles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating thecheck-valve connection between the air-pump and the compressed-air tank.

Corresponding parts are designated by like characters of reference inall the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a can or receptacle forming thebody of the device, which is divided into an upper chamber 2 and a lowerchamber 3 by means of an inclined partition l. The open upper end of theupper or milk-containing chamber is provided with a cover 5, having ahandle 6 and a screen-covered Ventilating-'opening 7 for the escape ofthe animal heat of the milk. In one side of the upper chamber there isprovided a transparently-covered longitudinal slot 8, which terminatesjust above the lowermost portion ot' the bottom of the upper chamber.Immediately below this slot there is provided a cock or faucet 9 fordrawing off the liquid contents of the upper chamber from the bottomthereof, so as not to agitate the cream upon the surface of the milk.The bottom chamber is made air-tight, so as to form a compressed-airtank, which is supplied with air by means of a suitable hand-operatedpump 10, removably connected to a checkvalve 1l, provided in one Wall ofthe chamber in the manner of an ordinary bicycle-pump. An upright airpipe or tube I2 leads from the air-tank to the upper portion of themilkchamber and upon the exterior of the device. At the upper end ofthis pipe there is a lateral branch pipe 13, which passes into themilk-chamber and extends to about the middle thereof, and from this pipethere extends a pendent laterally-inclined pipe 14, which terminatesadjacent to the discharge-opening formed by the faucet and is providedwith a spray-nozzle 15.

In the operation of the device the air-tank is supplied with compressedair by means of the pump, and the milk-chamber is charged with milk,after which air is supplied to the bottom of the milk by means of thecontrolling-valve 10, preferably carried by the external pipe 12. Thusthe cream-separating agent or Huid is applied directly at the bottom ofthe milk, so that 'it may rise gradually therethrough Without agitatingthe Whole volume of milk to any considerable extent, thereby hastenin gthe separation of the cream from the milk. Also by means of the valvethe air may be controlled, so as to increase or decrease the supply orair, according to the requirements of any particular case.

In supplying the cream-separating agent to the milk it is essential thatsuch agent may agitate the milk as little as possible, and to accomplishthis object Ihave placed the separating agent or air under pressure andarranged the same so that it may be supplied in a continuousuninterrupted flow to the bottom of the milk, thereby causing theleastpossible agitation of the milk. Also I have the supply of air undercontrol, so that it may be applied in large or small quantities, as maybe required.

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When the cream has become separated from the milk and collected upon thesurface, as may be seen through the glass-covered slot, the supply ofair is stopped by means of the valve and the milk is drawn ott throughthe faucet, and the cream finally drawn off into a separate receptaclein the usual manner.

It will be observed that the milk-receptacle is located above thecompressed-air tank, so as to facilitate the drawing oi of the cream andmilk, and that the air-passage 12 passes into the milk-receptaclethrough or adjacent to the top thereof and discharges at or adjacent toits bottom. By this arrangement the milk can rise in the tube or pipe 14only as high as the level within the receptacle, and as such level isnever above the top of the pipe 14 itis impossible for the milk toescape through the external air-pipe l2 and into the compressed-airtank.

What is claimed is- 1. A cream-separator of the class describedcomprising a receptacle, having an open upper end, an intermediatepartition dividing the receptacle into an entirely-closed bottomcompressed-air chamber, and an upper milkchamber, a check-valve for thebot-tom chambei', a removable cover for the milk-chamber,

said cover having a Ventilating-opening, an air-passage communicatingbetween the two chambers, and means for controlling the continuous anduninterrupted iiow of air to the milk-chamber.

2. A cream-separator ofthe class described, comprising a receptacle,having a verticallyinclined partition dividing the receptacle into anupper milk-chamber, and a lower compressed-air chamber, a check-valve inone of the Walls of the latter chamber, an external pipe communicatingbetween the two chambers, a valve carried by the external pipe, meansfor drawing off the contents of the milk-chamber and located adjacent tothe lowermost portion of the bottom thereof, and an internal pipecommunicating with the eX- ternal pipe, and discharging adjacent to thelowermost portion of the bottom of the milkchamber.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atxed mysignature in the presence ot' two witnesses.

JAMES L. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

D. S. MYERS, A.. R. LORD.

